There goes the plan to lose weight :(

My stepper gave way just when I was about to reach the 30-minute mark. A piece of metal...about 1cm in diameter broke into 2. I think I am too heavy for the machine. What am I going to do? No more exercise equipment...:(

Casual Me :)

A friend called me up yesterday. Was surprised to receive her call as she was supposedly to be in Prague with her maid to renew their visa. She told me that she needed help to get a ticket for her maid to go to KL to renew her visa??? Then I realised that the travel agent in Moscow had screwed up again! They got her maid a ticket to Prague but did not process her visa! She was refused entry and had to be deported back.

While I was making my way to her house to get the documents, I decided to take some pictures.

This was taken on Bolshoi Nikitskaya on a Sunday morning. Just outside my house.

This is still on the same street but facing the other way.

After the trip to my friend's place, Adrian and I decided to take lunch at our favourite Japanese restaurant - Ichiban. Here’s what we ordered:

Adrian's pork noodles....and my grilled salmon...Yum Yum!

We were even given a discount card...haha...it
all depends on who you know :P

Think Twice About Being An Expat's Wife

Wanna be an expat's wife? Think twice unless you fulfil the following criteria:

a) You enjoy afternoon tea
b) You have lots of hobbies to pass time
c) You don't really mind superficial friendships
d) You can stand taking $$ from your spouse and not feel that your ego is somehow deflated
e) You don't feel a depreciating sense of worth for not doing anything

Just Being Myself....

Was out shopping with some friends. 50% sale for all branded goods. A pair of Prada shoes cost as low as $5000 rubles (about $300). Relatively cheap I would say. But I ended up empty handed while some of my friends picked up some items. Why didn't you buy? You may ask. Well, simply because I could not afford a branded lifestyle. To me, paying $300 for a pair of shoes is extravagant. No matter how worth it it is. Anyway, Prada shoes do not go well with Giordano clothes.

However, I had to confess that I almost succumbed to temptation. Simply because I am in an environment where I need to be branded. What will others think of me if I am not carrying a Longchamp bag or wearing a pair of TODS? Will people start to talk behind my back? Shoo me for being LC? Well, I come to this conclusion. I need the money for my Masters and I need to prepare for life after 3 years in Moscow, possibly without a job for the first few months. Although $300 for a pair of shoes is not something that I cannot afford, I have alternative use for the money. If people have to see me in that light, so be it. Anyway, everyone of us has different priorities in life.Sometimes it is a drag being in such a society. Life back home is simpler, much simpler.

How will you spend your days if you know they are limited?

Ever wonder what will you do if you know your life is ending? Will you continue to chase after the dollar, go splurge as if there is no tomorrow (eventhough there will be no tomorrow), party your lungs out? I wondered what I will do after watching the movie "My Life". It was about a guy who was diagnosed with cancer at the point when his wife was pregnant. While he tried to fight the illness, he was also secretly recording a video compiling all that he would want to teach his unborn child and trying hard to come to terms with the emotional baggage he had with his family. He died with the luxury of seeing his baby boy taking his first step, gaining forgiveness from his family and fulfilling his childhood wish.

Honestly speaking, I do not know what I will do. I do not know if I will have the courage to face death. I do not know how to entertain the thought of leaving all my loved ones behind. I do not know how to devoid my responsibilities of taking care of my parents. I guess the feeling will be very different from committing suicide.

Fakes! How Far Can It Go?

I read with great astonishment and amusement of how the Russians are bringing fakes to greater heights in a newspaper report. When we talk about fakes, it is usually things like DVDs, watches, bags, clothings, maybe passports. But to the Russians, these fakes are kids' stuff. They are having million-dollar businesses from fake tours, paintings, pets, caviar, pharmaceutical drugs, handphones, healthcare certificates, degrees, VIP stickers for cars, performances, wine amidst all that were mentioned above. AMAZING!

For people who think that they have gotten some branded things at a cheap price in Russia, BEWARE, because according to the report, about 50% of all consumer goods sold in Russia are counterfeit. Just think about it, how can branded things be cheaper when all of these are imported with taxes?

My concern is the fake drugs in the market. About 12% of them are FAKE, mostly headache remedies. Phew! Thank God that I have an enormous supply of Panadol from home. For those who are wondering what are fake tours, here is what happens. Fake tours are popular with people who needs to brag about their overseas trips to their friends but are unable to afford. They are also popular with errant husbands who want their wives to believe they are on fishing trips. The tour agent will arrange for ticket stubs, hotel receipts, photographs with client's images superimposed on them, souvenirs and even a distant mobile phone number! GENIUS!

Taking a step back, why is the "FAKING" scene so rampant in this country? Well, I do not exactly know the reason but given the short stint of living in Moscow for 2 months, here is my humble insight. Being branded is a must in Moscow for your social status is dependent on how you dress, what you dress, what car you drive etc. I was talking to some expatriates and they shared that in some pubs, they reject entry to customers whom they think do not fit into the kind of patronage they want by judging from their physical appearances (including if they are wearing maybe Prada or Dolce & Gabbana suits). It is because of such social practices that being branded becomes a necessity. However, not everyone can afford such luxuries. In fact I believe many of us can't. So the alternative? Making fakes as real as possible. Of course, there are also many that just spend their entire months of salary on branded goods and the notion of "saving for rainy days" is remote. Maybe, there is no longer trust on savings after the economy crash in 1998 and savings are turned to nothing overnight. Such extremities can sometimes change a person's perception of things.

Whatever is the reason, I certainly hope that Moscovites or Russians do not lose their warm and sincere personalities (whom they really are) to these material luxuries.